Companies to Share Information on DRAM, System-On-Chip (SOC) and Known Good Die (KGD) Testing

FormFactor, Inc. today announced that Tera Probe Inc., a leading test service provider, has entered into a strategic relationship with FormFactor. The agreement is designed to help Tera Probe consistently achieve greater reductions in total overall cost of test by sharing design information earlier in the development process to ensure FormFactor’s advanced wafer test solutions deliver maximum return on investment (ROI). The two companies plan to focus their efforts in several product areas, including DRAM, system-on-chip (SOC) and known good die (KGD) testing.

“This agreement with Tera Probe is a win-win for both our companies,” stated Igor Khandros, chief executive officer of FormFactor. “In addition to driving greater test cost of ownership benefits in the DRAM market, our expanded relationship will help us deliver a compelling test solution to the SOC market. Rising SOC demand, driven by mobile consumer and automotive electronic applications, requires advanced micro-electro-mechanical (MEMS)-based wafer test solutions to provide higher levels of test parallelism to lower test costs, and that are highly scalable to address the test needs of future product generations.”

As part of this agreement, FormFactor will provide Tera Probe with early access to its next-generation wafer probe card solutions. The expanded relationship with Tera Probe is part of FormFactor’s new inPartner™ program—an initiative to develop long-term strategic customer relationships and align roadmaps, as well as look beyond the test cell for opportunities to help reduce customers’ test costs annually.

“Test is playing an increasingly strategic role in ensuring the highest yield and quality for advanced ICs. Longer test times, smaller devices and new device functions create challenging test cost models,” stated Masahide Ozawa, chief technology officer at Tera Probe. “By entering this next phase of our relationship with FormFactor, we now have the opportunity to engage with them on a new level that will enable us to achieve significant long-term reductions in our customers’ cost of test, as well as provide more comprehensive test solutions to meet our customers’ stringent manufacturing requirements.”